Is Pip a boy or girl!!!

[TaraBellaBirds]

I'm almost afraid to ask this but what do you think pullet or roo?
This black australorp is 15 weeks old (she is very small for her age) and was severely injured by another flock. I agreed to nurse her back to health for the agreement that she stays with me. She is healing up wonderfully and I've grown really attached. I ordered 5 male australorps from MM, this one is an extra and much much smaller than the other birds and believe it or not her comb is quite a bit lighter than the roos. I really hope it is a female but will probably keep it regardless!





Also take a look at the injury. Do you think her feathers will return?

 

[Frost Homestead]

looks like a roo to me

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

looks like a roo to me

That's what I was afraid everyone would say LOL! It just looks so different from the other 5. Size, comb, tail feathers and all.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Sorry, he's a rooster! Pretty boy though!

 

[Tricoglossus]

I've rehabilitated injured wild birds with wounds like that and the feathers have grown back eventually. So hopefully his will grow back too.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

It's my luck! I have three beautiful healthy children all of which are boys LOL! I well keep him regardless, I didn't put this much time and energy into him just to put him in the freezer. He is a great bird and will make a good roo for my girls!

Here is a pic of Pip hanging out with the family!!!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Update: Pip is healing beautifully and moved in with the rest of the flock yesterday. He is not happy with the move and last night I found him huddled and the back porch again, waiting for me to put him in the kennel in the house! I'm afraid he likes our company better than that of his flock mates. I hope he stays friendly but remembers that he is a chicken! Thanks everyone.

 

[Tricoglossus]

Aw! Well they are creatures of habit and they can become very attached to you. Sounds like you have done a great job with him.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

We are as attached to him. I don't think he'll ever make much of a roo. He is only half the size of his hatch-mates, and I think he has other genetic issues, which is probably why he got so beat up with another flock. I probably won't allow him to breed. Regardless he is going to stick around as a purely loved member of the flock!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Well sometimes I guess survival of the fittest wins no matter how hard you try.

My Son came in this morning crying that Pip was dead. Sure enough he was laying out in front of the coop, There was no sign of injury. He was perfectly fine after I had let the birds out this morning. We put him in the box and I noticed that his neck was loose despite the rigor mortis. My flock was in a flurry and some girls had jumped the fence. I'm pretty sure that a hawk got him and dropped him for some reason. Pip was the smallest and probably the slowest in the flock.